]]>2011 was a tough year for films at the box office. There were a good share of high profile bombs which means tax day is going to be a busy one in Hollywood. Amongst the write-offs are remakes and action epics, none of which were able to spark the interest of moviegoers. And so, as the accounting books are closed on 2011, we celebrate the top movies nobody bothered to see.

Mars Needs Moms

The honor of bombiest bomb to ever have bombed in 2011 goes to Mars Needs Moms. Produced for $150 million, it has thus far grossed $39 million worldwide. Normally, animated family films like this clean up at the box office, but the creepy dead-eyed mutant aliens of Mars failed to entice youngsters.

Sucker Punch

In the past, girls + underwear + slow motion have always added up to a hit. That’s why Warner Bros must be confused as they close the books on Zack Snyder‘s Sucker Punch. The dreamlike action film earned $89.8 million on a budget of $82 million. So, yes it did turn a profit but hardly. If only Vanessa Hudgens hadn’t gone and given it away for free on the Internet.

Arthur

Warner Bros also felt the sting of a bomb with the remake of Arthur. Russell Brand stars as the filthy rich party boy who considers giving it all up for true love. The film barely eked out a profit $5.7 million. The lesson here is that Fitz & The Tantrums can’t hold a candle to the widespread appeal of Christopher Cross.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-lists/hollywoods-biggest-tax-write-offs-of-2011/feed/0mars_needs_moms_reviewsucker-punch-photo-jamie-chung-vanessa-hudgensArthurWill The Australian “Collar Bomb” Attack Delay The Release Of ’30 Minutes Or Less’?http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/will-the-australian-collar-bomb-attack-delay-the-release-of-30-minutes-or-less/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/will-the-australian-collar-bomb-attack-delay-the-release-of-30-minutes-or-less/#commentsWed, 03 Aug 2011 15:49:19 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=223312Given the willingness of so many media figures to blame Hollywood, it's probably only a matter of time.

]]>A bizarre ransom attempt unfolding in Australia is eerily similar to the plot of the upcoming comedy, 30 Minutes or Less. Madeleine Pulver, a teenage member of one of Sydney’s wealthiest families, was allegedly strapped with a “collar bomb” that included a ransom note demanding cash from her father William, the CEO of an international software company. The plot of 30 Minutes or Less involves a similar attack in which a hapless pizza boy is strapped with a bomb and forced to rob a bank.

Thankful, the girl has been freed from the device and reunited with her parents, and an investigation is underway into who is responsible for the crime. But you can almost hear the producers of 30 Minutes or Less panicking. The fact that the bizarre incident happened just over a week before the film’s premiere could prove to be a major headache should anyone try to pin the incident’s inspiration on the film.

At this time there is no evidence to suggest that 30 Minutes or Less inspired the attack. In fact, the film was based on an actual collar-bomb attack that occurred in Pennsylvania back in 2003. If anything, the Pennsylvania incident would seem to be the more likely culprit. But the striking similarities between the incident in Sydney and the film’s plot could prove too worrisome for film studios that have long been known to error on the side of caution.

The Arnold Schwarzenegger film Collateral Damage and several other films were delayed for months following the September 11th attacks out of fear that their terrorist-heavy plots would offend moviegoers. Obviously, the incident in Sydney is nowhere near the scale of 9-11. But even so, it’s not hard to imagine the film being delayed should a controversy arise. And given the willingness of so many media figures to blame Hollywood for every ill our society faces, it’s probably only a matter of time.